Improvisation in Business

 

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    Issue 1

Creating a Vision for the 
Improv in Business Community


by Alain Rostain
 
  Wow! I said let's create a community and conference around improv in business and you said "Yes!" Since it's an all-volunteer effort, progress has been slow. But we are making progress.

For starters, you're looking at the first issue of Improvit. And plans for the first Summit on Improvisation in Business are underway.

So why create a community? And what's our collective vision?

Here's my take on it: I suspect that among us we have many passionate individuals with a breadth and depth of experience in creating value with Improv. My hope is that by coming together, both as a virtual community and in a face-to-face setting, we can help each other make a bigger difference in the world and be more successful as individuals and groups.

Let me back up for a moment and tell you how I discovered Improv and began applying it to business.

   
 
"My hope is that by coming together, both as a virtual community and in a face-to-face setting, we can help each other make a bigger difference in the world and be more successful as individuals and groups." 
 
  Ten years ago, after studying Computer Science and Cognitive Psychology, I went into management consulting for Price Waterhouse. I'd never studied acting. (My last "performance" was when I was six years old, a reading of some of my "poetry" for my mother's friends.) 

That year (1991), a friend introduced me to Bay Area Theatresports. One show and I was hooked. I'd never seen such talent, skills and sheer brilliance on one stage.

I took my first class. On the first day of Level 1, Rebecca Stockley listed some of the key concepts of Improv on the blackboard:

  • Say "Yes"
  • Make your partner look good
  • Spontaneity - don't self-censor
  • Stay present - don't plan ahead
  • Accept all offers
  • Embrace failure

A bell went off in my head. These same concepts were critical to the success of organizations! Yet they were rarely nurtured in the corporate setting. I was ecstatic. At last, a unique approach to learning, healing, fun and community that could be applied in business!

The idea that the beauty of improv, its philosophy and the techniques could be used to create a better workplace and make a difference in the lives of people inside organizations propelled me to commit my life to discover how to make the connection valuable and viable. So I started my business, Creative Advantage, with this purpose in mind. 

My work with Creative Advantage is extremely rewarding. But it's not enough. I need to be with people who do what I do. If we don't share it, we won't grow.

The time is ripe. Until very recently, only a few people were applying Improv to business. In the past year however, most training, leadership and learning conferences have included Improv presentations. I've also noticed a growing number of Improv practitioners at these events. But we have yet to come together as a large community.

Initially, I was thinking of just a conference. But soon I realized that rather than jump right in, it made more sense to take the time to build the community and find out who we are and what we want.   

Specifically, I think we can:

  • Share:
    • games, tools and activities
    • best practices in design, context-setting, and debrief
    • our wisdom about selling this work more effectively
    • the wide range of approaches we use
  • Build a support network to get advice or bounce around ideas
  • Encourage new practitioners and help them overcome roadblocks to success
  • Help those of us who approach this work from the artistic side connect more effectively to organizations and their goals
  • For internal practitioners, help deepen appreciation for Improv
  • Raise the standard and capabilities of all of us to do better work
  • Promote a standard for the facilitation and organization development skills needed to create sustaining value for our clients
  • Create a sense of community and overcome the loneliness factor
  • Increase awareness and acceptance around the world of the present and potential impact of Improv on the business world

What do you think? Please email us and let's get the dialogue going about what we want to create.

In the meantime, enjoy the first issue of Improvit. A note on content and contributors: While I asked the whole group for contributions for this issue, I could only justify hounding my friends and colleagues. Please help us make Improvit a well-rounded effort that also brings together Improv professionals who don't know one another. Contribute yourself or tell me who I should hound!

Thanks for being a part of this growing community. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Warm regards, 

    Alain Rostain
    Editor, Improvit
    CEO, Creative Advantage Inc.

 
   
 
 

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